Customer Reviews

Carousel Music

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Carousel Music by Rick Moskovitz
256 pages of suspense and heart rendering experiences of a young woman who spent several years in therapy to help her bulimia and borderline traits to relieve herself of the pain she endured during childhood and into adulthood. The author a practicing psychiatrist tells the story in a sensitive and thought provoking manner, which holds the interest of the reader to the very end. His sensitivity toward his clients is very vivid in the telling of his story. The courtroom scenes make you feel as though you are right there. I enjoyed this read from the very first page to the last. I read 242 pages in one day, I stopped 3 chapters before the end of the book as it was midnight! I was up at 6:30 the next morning to finish! I highly recommend this book.

A very interesting read making one wonder how the book will end. The author presents a young women with borderline personality disorder who recalls abuse during therapy. The validity of her remembrance is under speculation. I learned a great deal as the author presents both pros and cons of the accuracy of her memories without bias. I recommend this book to mental health consumers, their families and clinicians.

I read this new novel in one day, fufilling my definition of "a good read". The writing is skillful, the characters are well-developed, the foreshadowing is subtle, and the resolution is dramatic. Author and psychiatrist Dr. Rick Moskovitz wonderfully weaves into the story a description of the how, what, and why of psychotherapy. It paints a more realistic portrait of psychiatrists than is usually found on T.V. and at the movies. (Not as mystical, but still incredibly interesting). Psychiatrists, mental health students of all kinds, and the general public will all find something of interest in this novel. The art work on the cover is enough reason to buy the book, too.

Rick Moskovitz has done an amazing job of writing an authentic book about serious psychiatric issues while creating a powerful page-turning novel. CAROUSEL MUSIC is gripping and sensitive, enlightening and frightening. It highlights both the power of the process of psychotherapy and the frustration and pain brought about when recovered memories are questioned. This book is a great read for both mental health professionals and the lay public.

Carousel Music is a page turning pyschological thriller. This is a fast-paced story that grabs you from the start and makes your imagination run wild after the book is finished. It really makes you think about the differences between reality and perception.

"Carousel Music": is a novel written by Rick Moskovitz, M.D. a practicing psychiatrist, an experienced educator, and author of the best-selling non-fiction work, "Lost in the Mirror: an inside look at Borderline Personality Disorder".

"Carousel Music" addresses the controversy over whether or not false memories can arise in the course of psychotherapy. As the lives of the psychiatrist, the young woman he has been treating, and their respective families intertwine, each of the characters learn that the line between reality and illusion can be razor thin. From the intimacy of the psychotherapeutic encounter to the public drama of the courtroom, the suspense builds to an unforgettable conclusion.

This book is 256 pages of enjoyable reading by a great author. I will recommend it as one of the best.

As a psychiatrist, I found Dr. Moskovitz's novel, "Carousel Music" both entertaining and believable. His treatment of the controversial repressed memories and confidentiality issues is sensitive and insightful. They are addressed in the context of a mystery story complete with a surprising twist at the end. The development of the intricate characters and their interactions is very realistic, and I found the most interesting dialogue occurring during the courtroom scenes.

The reader is challenged to predict the outcome not only of the trial, but also of the novel itself. This is a well-researched page-turner, which clearly shows the complex thought processes of a psychiatric patient, her relatives, the treating physician, and the attorneys who become involved. I look forward to Dr. Moskovitz's next book.

Fred Miley, M. D.
Immediate Past President, Florida Psychiatric Society

The author's easy writing style takes the reader through the trauma and drama of the abuse, the courtroom, and the anguish of mental illness. I read this novel from cover to cover in just one night which is no small feat considering my busy lifestyle, but I just had to know how it all turned out.

Richard Moskovitz develops his characters well and brings them to life with compassion, intelligence and skill. Having worked closely with victims of abuse I can say that this novel is right on the mark. Therapists and suvivors should read Carousel Music.

As someone who is a survivor of trauma and abuse at the hands of my Bio father,I found this book to be excellent for survivors.I was impressed with the quality of the writing and the content.I read it in one night.The book is well balanced,written with sincerity and guts.One of the best books I have read on this topic.I highly recommend it.

I think therapists and clients should all read this as well as anyone interested in how personality disorders might arise and how the sufferers and those around them might be affected. This book presents a well-rounded account of the effects of mental disturbance on people's relationships, and treatment of mental disturbances. The average person would not read a textbook on these subjects, but this is accessible to all.

"Carousel Music" while not being technical, presents the symptoms of "borderline personality disorder," the issue of "recovered memories," (true and/or false), use of dreams, patient confidentiality, addiction, cutting, bulimia, incest, medication for sufferers of neurological or mental disturbances, sexual abuse and so forth.

He presents these issues and more in a readable fashion while keeping our interest by having the therapist, a psychiatrist, sued in court over the problems an estranged father has with the accusations of sexual abuse, i.e., rape by his grown daughter. While telling the story he shows how members of families interact, how different members of a family can experience each other totally differently, the tricks that may be used by attorneys, and more.

Richard Moscovitz is not a skilled novel writer in a literary sense, but his writing is very clear and understandable. The plot is interesting with a court case being the main mystery. He makes it intriguing to find out about hypnotism, repressed to "recovered" memories, and so forth. He really explains the ins and outs of the feelings of the various victims, lawyers, family members and so forth while keeping us interested.

To address the issue of writing: I have read worse "literary" novels. At first I was going to give the book 3 stars based on its not being written as well as many other novels. But to be honest, there was one award winning book I read that was far worse in my opinion. As I was writing this review I realized how skillful the writer is in presenting issues of mental disturbance and therapy for an interested reader.